DISCLAIMER: Ranma Nibunnoichi is the property of Takahashi Rumiko,
Shogakukan Inc, Shonen Sunday Comics, and Viz Video. It is used without
their permission and is not intended for profit but only for the
enjoyment of fans of the Ranma series. All characters within this fic
that are not the property of the above mentioned are copyrighted to the
author, Joseph Kohle, January 1997. This work of fiction is the result
of the author's hard work and is for the enjoyment of others. Please do
not change, modify, or use any segment of this story without the
author's knowing and written consent. Feel free to archive this work.

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                    Meiyo Ai soshite Nikushimi

                    A Ranma Nibunnoichi Fanfic
                         by Joseph Kohle
  
			   Part I: the Step Beyond
			  Chapter III: Consequences

     
   "Where's my food?" an angry voice complained from the dinning area.
Muttering under her breath, Cologne threw a bowl of ramen toward the
source of the voice. "Hey, watch it!" This was followed by a short pause
and then, "Hmm, pretty good, Arigato."
   Where the hell was Shampoo, Cologne ondered. She had sent the girl
out with an order over an hour ago. Grumbling under her breath, Cologne
quickly prepared half a dozen more orders and launched them in the
direction of their owners. Several surprised shouts were elicited by the
flying food, but her aim was good, and everyone got their food safe and
sound.
   Tonight was not going very well. Here she was, a Matriarch of the
Amazon tribe, and she was cooking food like some pimply, scruffy-
looking, college kid. She should be back at the village, training the
younger generation, sitting in council to decide the future, and dispen-
sing justice. Instead her three hundred odd years of experience were
being wasted on capturing a snot-nosed man-child and bringing him back
because her own granddaughter was unable to deal with the man. 
   It was disgraceful. No Amazon should be defeated so consistently by
a man, much less an outsider. Obviously Shampoo was lacking in her
training. She'd have to remedy that. Or could it be the boy himself? The
thought flashed through her mind quickly. Had she underestimated him? He
was good, there was no doubt about that. He was still unable to beat her
in a real competition, but he had prevailed in those limited ones. Had
she made a mistake with him? In her quest tio test and better him
inpreparation for his jpoing the Amazon tribe had she gone too easy on
the boy? 
   It was that or the boy had the devil's own luck. Everything she tried
failed in the end. Passion spice, pressure points, kidnapings, cures for
his curse. In the end, they were all as effective as a crippled fighter.
It was humiliating for her, for the Amazons. But what was she doing
wrong?
   "I'm hungry!" a customer called from the dining area. A bowl flew
from her hand toward the dinning room. She hated Japan, and every thing
in it. Things would be so much easier if she was back in China. Then she
could simply tie the boy up and take him to the village. "Will somebody
take my order?" Arghh! Where in the name of all the Amazon Ancestors was
that ungrateful, spoiled, dim witted, fool of a great-granddaughter. If
she was not back her in five minutes, Cologne decided to throe the girl
to the dogs.  
   The cracking and splintering of wood filled the dinning area,
followed by the surprised shouts of the customers. Cologne stuck her
head out the serving window just in time to see a purple-haired blur fly
past her and up the stairs, leaving behind only anguished sobbing. Now
what, she thought. She decided she should check on it. "Probably just
something about that fool son-in-law of mine," she muttered under her
breath as she left the kitchen and followed Shampoo upstairs. Today
was turning out to be one of the worst days in her life. 
   As she reached the top of the steps, she began to hear Shampoo's
muffled cries. They started softly but slowly crescendoed into a long
and loud keening wail that filled the restaurant, resonating off the
walls. A screech of rage was directly on the heels of the wail, then the
destruction began. The shattering of glass and the crunch of furniture
slipped through the walls, then the desk came through Shampoo's door and
imbedded itself in the wall across the hall. Now Cologne was worried.
   Quickly hopping into the room, Cologne found a scene from Dante's
'Inferno'. A disaster zone was understating Shampoo's room. Crushed
lamps and torn pillows littered the place, the feathers still floating
in the air. The shattered remains of vases were scattered on the floor
and imbedded in the walls. Her vanity was crushed, the bonbori used to
inflict the damage sitting in the middle of the wreckage. Her bed was
overturned and thrown against the wall. Shampoo stood in the center of
her room like a some vengeful demon. Her aura was glowing a sooty red,
her hands clenched into fists; however, tears streaked down her face and
her eyes were swollen and red. 
   Breathing heavily, Shampoo was a statue, unaware of everything around
her. Ranma. It was the only ripple that wavered through her mind. A
ripple that turned quickly to a crashing wave that carried her back into
hysteria. "Ranma! How dare he!"  
     With an inarticulate cry of grief, Shampoo grabbed a broken chair
and threw it through her window, shattering the glass. Spinning around
the Amazon looked for more to destroy. Her eye fell on the lone piece
of furniture still standing, a small night table with a framed picture
of Ranma smiling, a vase of flowers next to it.
   "Curse you, Ranma!" She screamed in Mandarin and slashed the picture
with a sword she pulled from the ruins of her stuffed animals. The pic-
ture Ranma was suddenly without head, then without a body as a bonbori
crushed the table with the crunch and crash of glass and pottery. Then
Shampoo dropped to her knees and began wailing in grief as her anger
faded like the light in an eclipse.
   Confused and worried, Cologne hopped next to her great-granddaughter
and laid a withered hand on the girl's trembling shoulder. "What is
wrong great-granddaughter?" she asked in Mandarin. She had a small
inkling, but the full story was needed. Son-in-law has obviously gone
over some line.
   "R-r-ran-ranma," she sobbed collapsing against Cologne.
   "What has son-in-law done?" This was bizarre. Shampoo usually became
angered at Ranma's other fiancees. Never had she lashed out at her
future husband. The question was what the boy had doen to illicit such
a response from Shampoo.
   Sobbing, Shampoo began to tell her story. How she followed Ranma and
Akane and disrupted their date. Then how Akane had attacked her and
Ranma, and Ranma defending the violent girl and turning on her. "Th-then
he said I-I had no right to be his h-hu-husband. Said this wasn't China.
He said he'd never marry me great-grandmother," Shampoo wailed and then
began sobbing uncontrollably.
   "I see," Cologne said quietly. 'It seems I've become too complacent
in this place,' she thought to herself. 'So this boy thinks he can flout
three thousand years of Amazon tradition. I've gone too easy on him, now
he will see how horrible it is to anger the Amazons.' Turning back to
her great-grandaughter, Cologne said, "Don't worry great-granddaughter.
Ranma will be your husband, and very soon I believe."
   "Really?" Shampoo asked, wiping her eyes, "Even though he no want
Shampoo." She slipped back into Japanese.
   "Ranma will have no choice," Cologne said. It was clear that she had
let this charade run for far too long, and by doing so she had allowed
the main character to go off on his own soliloquy, ignorin the script sh
had so carefully prepared and cultivated. It was evident that the boy
was in desperate need of a reminder of exactly who was in control.
It was time that Ranma was brought into the tribe or was killed. "Now
clean yourself up and come downstairs and help me."
   "Hai, great-grandmother. Shampoo happy now." The girl smiled and
jumped up and started looking for some clothes that were not ruined. 
   Cologne turned and hopped out of Shampoo's room and down to her room.
Her grand-daughter's happiness did not concern her right now. Only the
honour of the Amazons was important. This boy had insulted and stood
against the Amazon tribe too long. No more was he going to be a problem. 
   Entering her room, she went to a locked chest and opened it with a
key hanging around her neck. Digging through the artifacts, she pulled
out a black bag with ancient Chinese script flowing over it in white
letters. This was her only choice. It did not matter if the boy was not
an Amazon. His punishment would be the same as an Amazon male who openly
defied the Ancestors and Matriarchs. Unless of course he relented, then
maybe she would let him survive. 
   The bag was warm and heavy. It was just waiting for a target. It knew
a Matriarch was holding it. It was pleased, Cologne could sense that.
She smiled and began to prepare for her encounter with Saotome Ranma.   

   Toweling off, Ranma entered the house from the backyard and quickly
made his way down the hall to the bath. It was still early and only
Kasumi was awake, her voice softly raised in song within the kitchen.
She had greeted him politely when he had returned from his morning jog,
obviously she did not share her father's and his own father's views of
the situation. Whereas they condemned him, Kasumi accepted the turn of
events with a smile and proceeded to support the new arrangement as if
it were the old. So she allowed him in the house to get a quick shower
before the two patriarchs woke.
   When he and Akane had returned the previous night from their eventful
date, they had been confronted by their respective father, both of whom
were elated at the turn of events that had brought Akane and him closer.
They had gone on and on about how their schools were to finally be one.
This had gone to the extreme of them starting to plan a wedding. He had
been forced to step in at that moment and inform them that he had broken
off the engagement.   
     Happiness and elation had turned instantly into two irate fathers
tearing into him, literally. Soun had done his demon head, yelling at
him for his inconsiderate and churlish ways. His father had slammed him
into the ground and started lecturing him on the proper duty of a son.
Insults and blows had been rained on his head like refuse. 
     When Akane had tried to intervene, she had been ordered to go to
her room. All the blame had fallen squarely on his head. It was his
fault and only his. Besides he did not want Akane taking the heat for
this, just like he had wanted to protect her virtue by not having anyone
find out why he had been injured. His love for her, his sense of honour
was  just too great to allow him to save himself.
     Finally the tirade had ended and he had been able to stand, anger
burning in his soul. Soun and Genma had confronted him and told him to
renounce his renouncement and accept the engagement. 
     "Son, you are on the path of dishonour," Genma had said. His
father's eyes had bored into his own soul. He had seen the pain, the
shame he had inflicted, the wound he had given his father. He was a
child who had deliberately disobeyed the pater familia. Such an act
could bring about his own death or worse, disownment. 
     Disgust had echoed his father's shame in the eyes of Tendou Soun. 
"What you have done is unforgiveable. We will not allow it. You will
marry my daughter Saotome Ranma." He had slunk back under their deman-
ding stares, his own sense of giri pushing him to accept and just take
the punishment.
     "You will accept the engagement," his father had stated deliberate-
ly, "After all I have done for you, I will not have you tarnish our
family name." 
     That had snapped him back. What his father had done to him through
the training had been horrendous. Many of the things they had one still
burned shamefully in his soul. And his father was bringing that debt on
him? No it would not be. 
     Drawing himself up, he had shaken his head and told them no. It had
been the hardest moment of his life. He had beaten back a whole lifetime
of honour and duty to have a chance at love. If the choice were offered
again, he would do the same. He knew he would, even after they had
thrown him out of the house, ordering him to not return until he
accepted his duty. 
     Silently thanking the gods for Kasumi, without whom he'd have been
in real trouble, he quickly slipped into the bathroom and washed himself
and left. On his way past the kitchen, he was halted by Kasumi.
     "Ranma," she said, walking out of the kitchen. In her hands she
held a small bento box from which a delicious smell emanated. "Here's
your breakfast."
     "Okagesama de," he said accepting the box from Kasumi. He smiled
at her. "What would I do without you? You're a life saver."
     Kasumi giggled a bit and patted Ranma's cheek. "I'm sure every
thing will work out, Ranma-kun. I'll give Akane your lunch." 
     "Arigato," Ranma thanked her. Kasumi smiled and returned to the
kitchen, her voice rising in a melodious tune. Ranma stood quietly and
listened for a moment. His mother had sung while preparing food. Though
he had not seen her since the age of five, he remembered her voice like
it was yesterday. It had been sweet and filled with a tender love of
life and her family, so much like Kasumi. To him it was justb one more
reason for him to love Kasumi-oneechan. Frowning, he wondered where that
thought had come from, but he accepted it in stride.
     Shrugging his shoulders Ranma went into the backyard where he had
pitched his tent in the far corner, as far from the house as he could
get without leaving the yard. Walking to the tent, he ducked inside and
brought out a small mat. Placing it on the ground, he knelt and began
to eat his breakfast, his eyes unconsciously fixed on the sunrise, the 
sky becoming a molten collage of colours as he watched. 
     He rarely had time to appreciate the beauty of the world around
him. It was always training. Training, according to his father, did not
involve the beauty of the world. Unlike Tendou Soun, his father was a
man of actions. Words and thoughts were for the philosophers, not simple
warriors. 
     It was strange in a way. Ranma earned his dislike of school from
this fact, yet his father pushed him into learning so that he would
develope mentally and physically. Ranma, however, observed the hypocrisy 
in his father and did what he pleased. In essence he was two people, 
and not just because of the curse.
     Trained in his school since birth, he was a fighter of unparalled
skill. Any Samurai of ancient times would have been envious of Ranma's
skill, but utterly confused by the way he applied himself. At times he
was the perfection of honour, standing up for his duties, protecting
those who needed his snactuary, and living life to the best of his
ailities. Yet the next he would be the insolent boy that had been
created by his father, vituperative and callous to the world around him. 
     He was constantly at war with himself, tying to find himself in the
mess of his life.  It was times like these, when he had a goal, that
everything was pushed below and the real Ranma came out. He was not
fighting and trying to be someone. Instead he was the person few ever
saw, few even suspected existed. A man who just wanted to live his life
on his own terms.  A man who was beyond his years. 
     This was one of those moments, where he just found the serenity
with in himself and enjoyed the world around him. He ate slowly,
savoring the taste instead of wolfing down to avoid his father. When he
had finished he set aside the empty box and chopsticks. Right now he
had no worries, no doubts. He enjoyed that for a few more moments,
before he went back to the tormented life he had left. 
     Standing up he slipped back inside his tent and changed. Exiting
the tent, he stood tall and stretched his muscles, enjoying the plea-
surable pain of tight muscles loosening. It was still early, but he knew
that his presence around the house would only aggravate matters, not
that he really cared. A bout or two with his old man held a certain
satisfaction to it. On Oyaji he could release all of his anger, his
frustration, his confusion, and simply have the catharsis of pounding
him into the ground. He clenched his fists, cracking his knuckles. Maybe
he could stay for a bit.
     "Ranma?" Akane's voice snapped him from his thoughts, saving his
father's pathetic hide. "Are you okay?"
     "As good as possible," he muttered angrily, turning to face her.
Maybe a fight with Akane would make him feel better. The idea died as
he saw her though. She was already dressed for school, a worried frown
on her face. Baka, she's here to help you, he berated himself. 
     "I-if you wanna, you know, become engaged again, I'll understand,"
she said tentatively. There was something in the way she said it though,
that made Ranma stop and think before he answered. It was almost as if
she wanted him to agree to her proposal.
     He shook his though. "I can't. I won't," he said simply. How to
explain? How did he tell her that he was not going to be forced into
something again? That he wasn't going to give in? Besides if he allowed
this one, refused to revoke it, he lost footing with his other fiancees.
They would say he was being inconsistent, and he would be. He could not
keep one engagement forced on him and get rid of the others by saying
they were forced on him. The others would flatly refuse him and continue
on like before, maybe going after Akane, since it would be obvious that
she was their biggest threat.
     Akane nodded her head indicating she understood. "Maybe I can
explain it to them," she offered, "It's not like we're saying we'll
never marry."
     "Arigato. You can try, but I doubt it'll help," he explained. He
saw Nabiki exit the house and start walking toward him. He decided a
quick exit was in order. "I'll see ya later. I wanna talk to Ucchan
before school."
     "Do you want help?" Akane asked. She did not want to be there, but
she knew everything was eating at Ranma. He was a person who solved his
problems himself and tried at the same time to help those around him.
Ukyou was just one more stress that was slowly going ot rip him apart.
     "No, it'll be easier on her if it's just me." He turned and leaped
to the top of the wall. "By the way, tell Nabiki I'm not paying her 
anything." With that said he left the yard and worked his way toward
Ucchan's, taking the most indirect route he could find. He was not
looking forward to this.
     Ranma knew how hard breaking the engagement with Ukyou was going
to be, hard on her and therefore hard on him. It was not that he loved
her, well he did, but it was different than what he felt for Akane.
Ukyou was his friend, his confidant, a memory of happy times in his
life. In a way, he felt like he was throwing that away. It felt like he
was taking a beloved picture and smashing it.
     There had been times when he had thought that if he was to marry
any of his fiancees it would be Ukyou. It was true she had tried to kill
him at first, but that had been a misunderstanding. Once that had been
put behind them, she had come to love him. On the other hand, he had
resumed their lost friendship. At the time it was the one thing he
needed, a friend. With all of his problems that had appeared in the time
since he had arrived at the Tendou's, Ukyou's arrival, despite the addi-
tion of a fiancee, was a godsend for him. In one stroke he gained a
friend, a link to better times, and someone who was nice, pretty, a good
cook and was interested in the only thing that had mattered to him,
martial arts.
     In addition to this she had accepted his curse with good faith.
She had not cared that he changed into a girl, since she herself had
pretended to be a boy for most of her life. They had become close
quickly. Their friendship was what he had based his assumption of their
marriage on, and eventhough he now realized that it had been a fanatasy,
he did not want to lose that friendship. Ukyou's friendship was very
important to him. She had helped him so many times. He just did not know
what might have happened if he had not had her. Nor did he want to find
out now. 
     The others had not had a claim like that on him. Really he did not
care for them. Shampoo was too violent, and loved him only because of
the Amazon law. On top of that, her methods and those of the ghoul
dissuaded him, they were not honourable. Love could not be tricked or
bought or forced. Kodachi was just insane, and that was reason enough.
Akane, now that was a vexing one. They fought constantly, hated each
other, provoked one another, and simply could never put aside their
differences. Really he did not even know where his love for her had come
from. Over time it had just slowly grown and matured beneath his mask of
hostility.
     Now because he loved Akane, he was going to hurt the only friend
he had ever had. He did not want to. If he had his way, he would allow
Ukyou to live with the hope of gaining him forever, and he knew, when
he told her the engagement was off, that he would still give her that
hope. He was not going to tell her about Akane and him. That was why he
had refused Akane's offer. No matter how much he wanted someone with
him, this was a task he had to perfom on his own, without assistance.
     Ucchan's was just up the street from him. Ucchan. He had always
called her that, even when he had thought she was a boy. Ucchan and
Ranchan, to anyone else it would have seemed a relationship made in
heaven. To him it was pure agony right now. Please forgive me for this,
Ucchan. I have to do it. You're my friend. I love you like a sister, but
it can never be. I'm sorry. Please forgive me.
     Closing his eyes and taking a deep breath, he walked up the street
and knocked on the door to the restaurant. The sounds of somebody
walking down the stairs, and pulling back the locks came from inside,
and then the door opened. Ranma was then face to face with Ukyou. Her
face went from startled to a look of pure joy faster than Akane could
lose her temper. "Ranchan!" she exclaimed, pulling Ranma into an
embrace, "What are you doing here? Have you eaten? Come in." 
     Before he could say a thing he was ushered in and to the counter.
Ukyou started whipping up a okonomiyaki for him, humming happily in
front of the grill as she poured the batter and flipped it with
practiced skill. Ranma groaned. This was going to be harder than he
thought. Sighing, he opened his mouth and began to speak. Each word a
burning agony in his heart. 
     "Ucchan, we need to talk about a few things." I'm sorry Ucchan.
I'm so sorry. Please forgive me.

     "Shampoo!" Cologne snapped, her voice echoing through the buil-
ding. She was in the middle of the preparations. On a small altar the
black bag stood, five candles marking the points of a pentagon around
it. There were only a few more steps, and then she only had to wait for
the full moon to appear. Two days until Ranma was put in his place.
     "Yes, great-grandmother? What you need Shampoo do?" She popped
into the room, bubbling with good spirits. Great-grandmother had 
promised Ranma as her husband, and great-grandmother never failed.
     "I need you to get a few things for me," Cologne said grabbing a
piece of paper and jotting down half a dozen items. Then she handed the
paper to Shampoo. "I need all of them by tonight, before the moon
rises."
     Shampoo glanced over the list quickly. Everything seemed to be
easy to find. Most were ingredients for a protection circle. Holy water
or a Shinto blessing on parchment, wolfsbane, garlic, red orche, animal
blood, and.."Huh? Why you need drop of Husband's blood?"
     "Do you want son-in-law to marry you?" Cologne asked.
     "Yes, Shampoo want very much," she gushed, bouncing in place.
     "Then get every single one of those items." Her tone broached no
argument. Shampoo nodded dutifully and left her great-grandmother's
room. She was not sure how she was going to get Ranma's blood, nor why
Cologne needed it anyway? I hope she doesn't hurt Husband. Sighing,
Shampoo ducked out of the restaurant and started searching for the items
on the list.

     "Is it true?" Mio asked Akane as they walked to lunch, "Did Ranma
break off your engagement?"
     "Yeah, spill it," Koiko demanded, "We've been hearing rumors all
morning."
     "I heard he dumped all of his fiancees," Raiko said hopefully.
     "Ukyou never came to school," Mio observed.
     "Come to think of it, I haven't seen Ranma either," Raiko said.
"Maybe they eloped."
     "No they didn't," Akane said quietly. "Ranma dumped her this
morning, before school started."
     "How do you know?" her friends asked. They pulled Akane to a halt
and surrounded her.
     "He told me."
     "You're still talking to him?" Koiko asked incredulously. "I'd
never speak to someone who dumped me like that, after a date and all."
     Akane sighed in defeat. Nabiki had spread at least half a dozen
rumours for a good deal of money that morning. The problem was that
those six had spawned at least a hundred others. So far she had heard
everything from all of Ranma's fiancees dumping him to Ranma running
away to join a monastery. 
     Ranma and Ukyou not being at school also complicated things.
Personally Akane had not expected either to be here. She knew how much
Ranma cared for Ukyou. Those two were close friends. Ranma was probably
jogging off his frustration and Ukyou was at Ucchan's crying, but the
stories had taken their absence like fire takes gasoline. She wished
Nabiki had kept her mouth shut.
     "Yes, I'm still talking to him," Akane responded curtly, "It was
mutual. We went out for ice cream afterwards, no hard feelings. Actually
were getting along better now."
     "You two are confusing," Koiko observed, "Engaged you fight con-
stantly. Dump each other and your friends. Am I the only one who finds
anything disturbing in this whole thing?"
     "You've lived in Nerima your whole life, and you only find this
strange?" Raiko laughed, covering her mouth politely. Koiko shot her a
dirty look and shook her head in resignation. "But she's right. It is
weird. So spill it, we're all friends here."
     "I don't really understand it." Akane said, looking around the
school yard for some sort of escape. She did want to try and explain
that Ranma had broken their engagement because he wanted them to have a
chance at a relationship. It just sounded so..so, well, stupid. "We were
sick of fighting because of it, and it just seemed like a good idea to
break it off. I guess it's working."
     "Oh, I heard some junior say that he broke up with you because you
stabbed him," Raiko commented in an of-hand manner. Akane could feel her
temperature rising as she heard those words.
     "N-nani?" She swore to herself to have a nice long chat with her
sister about this latest rumour. 
     "That's right. Ranma was in the hospital a few days ago. A friend
of his said he'd been stabbed," Koiko chimed.
     "I didn't stab Ranma!! I don't hate him." Akane shouted, then
dropped her voice as she tried to explain, "We fight but I don't want
him dead. That whole thing was an accident. Oh never mind." Then she saw
a familiar black-haired head with a pig-tail moving across the school
yard. There was no doubt that it was Ranma. "Excuse me, I see Ranma, and
I've got his lunch." With that she pushed past her friends, who suddenly
had at least another hundred or so questions for her, which she did not
want to answer.
     Once free of them she hurried across the school yard, trying to
catch up with Ranma. She had almost caught up with him, when a voice
brought her up short. "Ah truly, this is a day that shall live forever
in mine heart as one of complete perfection, for not only have mine ears
heard that the foul perfidy of the sorceror Saotome Ranma has been
removed from my beloved Tendou Akane, but the very object of my heart's
eternal desire has been presented to me. Oh the god's must be with me
this day."
     "Kunou, I'm in no mood.." She was cut short as Kunou grabbed her
in an embrace from behind. Her anger, still fuming from Raiko's scathing
cokmmentary, flared within her at the insolent and niggardly treatment
contained within Kunou's pompous words.
     "Ah, I know that you doth only wish to enjoy your glorious freedom
from that vile, villain Saotome. Thy world must be an eternal bliss of
warming sun and fragrant fields and flowering trees, but let me enjoy it
with thee, oh beloved Huntress," Kunou continued speaking, oblivious to
Akane struggling to get her arms free so she could crush the fool. "I do
love thee, Tendou Akane, let us spend this day toge...ugh."
      Akane saw the blur and then Kunou's vice grip dropped from her.
"Leave her alone, Kunou," Ranma said from her side. Spinning and glowing
with rage, Akane saw Ranma's fist planted firmly in the face of her
assailant, a small grunt being the only sound illicited by the attack.
     "Saotome!!!!!" Kunou shouted as Ranma dropped his fist, "This
dishon- ourable intrusion shall not go unpunished! The vengeance of
heaven is slow but sure, and today it will be metted out on your
pathetic body. You have finally lost your malicious hold on the lovely
Tendou Akane, and soon I will liberate the pig-tailed goddess from thine
lecherous arms. For the last time hast thou come between my loves and
mineself."
     "Why don't you let Akane decide, asshole!" Ranma shouted back. He
needed a release. Ukyou's grief stricken face was still haunting his
mind, her uncontrollable sobbing, her pleas and demands echoing in his
mind like a torturer's favorite tools. Kunou would do nicely, besides,
Akane was still his, engagement or not.
     "She has no need to decide. Heaven has decreed that we two should
be as one, that is all that any need to know. Now prepare thyself for
death!" Kunou rushed towards him.
     "Kunou no baka!" Akane screamed bringing down her mallet. Ranma
was faster than both. His hand flashed out and crunched into Kuno's
diaphragm forcing the wind from his lungs. In the next instant, he had
grabbed Kunou and pulled him into his knee. Akane's mallet just missed
Kunou by a hair, crushing the stones of the walkway to a fine powder.
Kunou could not even grunt as Ranma's knee connected with his stomach.
He just crumpled in on himself and fell to the ground. Then Akane's
mallet crushed his head into the dirt. "No one decides for me. It is my
decision." She was starting to see why Ranma had broken off the engage-
ment. She also did not want to be forced. She had a choice in her life.
     Around them the crowd oo'ed and ah'ed in appreciation, a smatter-
ing of applause circulating. Having Kunou humiliated and beaten to a
pulp was always a crowd pleaser at Furinkan, almost as pleasing as Ranma
becoming a girl. 
     Akane looked up, her mallet disappearing into Hammerspace. Ranma
was starring silently at Kunou's groaning form, almost like he wanted
the fool to continue. "Arigato, Ranma," she said quietly. He only
nodded. "I've got your lunch, you must be hungry. C'mon." She grabbed
his arm and tugged him away from the sight of the skirmish.
     Ranma followed in a daze, his mind still on the morning's events.
Ukyou had taken the news even worse than he had thought possible. After
he had told her that he was breaking off their engagement, she had
simply starred at him in shock, her mouth forming the word no over and
over in denial. Then she had attacked him.
     It had been an act of desperation, a fight for the only thing she
had left. For Ranma it had been the worst battle of his life. Ukyou had
been attacking without restraint. To lose had meant that she lost
Ranchan, so Ranma had been forced to defeat her, but he could not hurt
her while fighting. For a dozen minutes they sparred back and forth, the
fight moving from Ucchan's to the streets and rooftops of Nerima. Event-
ually Ukyou began to make the mistake common to her form, and he was
able to overpower her, disarm her, and hold her immobile. She had
continued to struggle for several minutes, before just collapsing to the
ground sobbing. "Why, Ranchan, why?"
     Her question had destroyed him. He had almost relented and let her
remain his fiancee. Her tear-streaked face had torn his heart. Having a
girl cry because of him was horrible for him. It made him feel so help-
less, so weak, so ashamed. He was a man, it was not honourable to attack
a girl with fists and even words were too much if they brought about
tears. So he had been at a loss as to what to do. He had to hurt her,
but it was just impossible to do it. 
     Gently leading her inside, he had sat her down at the counter and
started talking. She had protested and pleade, but he had refused to
relent, evnthough his heart had nearly crumbled. Finally, he had been
able to explian "Ucchan, I'm not just breaking my engagement with you,
I'm breaking all of them. I don't wanna be forced into anything. I'll
decide who I'm gonna marry."
     Ukyou had looked up at him a gleam of hope in her eyes. She had
sniffled and wiped her eyes, "Does that mean you might still be mine,
Ranchan? I don't wanna lose you. I love you, Ranchan. Please don't leave
me." Her voice had been broken and hurt and filled with such love and
hope that he had been unable to take it away from her.
     "Hai, there is a chance." Only if something happens to Akane, only
then Ucchan. Why did it have to be so hard? Love was supposed to be
wonderful, not this painful torture and macabre farce that it had become
in his life. He had left her alone in the restaurant, unable to take any
more of the torture she was putting him through. He hated his life.
     "It didn't go well, did it?" Akane asked as they sat down under a
tree, the shade cool and refreshing.
     "No," he answered simply.
     "I'm sorry. Is there anything I can do?" she asked, handing him
his lunch. He took it absently and opened it. Idly he picked through his
food, not really interested in eating. Ukyou's face refused to leave his
head.
     "Just stay with me, I don't wanna be alone." Akane nodded and
simply sat quietly next to Ranma while she ate. Ranma did not eat,
however, he stared off into space, lost in his own worries and troubles. 
     Akane was at a loss. It was obvious Ranma needed something, but
she just did not know what to do. Since last night their relationship
had become even more confusing. Were they friends? Lovers? Or was it
just companions? She wanted to hold him and make his pain go away, but
at the same time was unsure whether he wanted that. At least before they
could have started fighting, that would have snapped Ranma out of his
depression, forced him to think of something else, but that just seemed
wrong now. So instead of becoming closer they kept the neutrality that
had formed between them, and therefore they were both miserable as they
ate lunch.
     "Why do I have to hurt the people I love?" Ranma asked quietly
after a time. The silence was grating on him. He was not hungry, he was
depressed, and there was no way to let it out without fighting or talk-
ing. "I hurt her so much that I just couldn't take everything away from
her. I had to give her some hope, make her think she still had a chance.
But even that is just delaying it. I don't wanna hurt her anymore."
     "Does she have a chance?" Akane asked.
     Ranma shook his head. "I lied to her, just so I didn't hurt her
more than I already did, but in the end it will just hurt her more. I
just couldn't stand her tears. I made her cry, my best friend. I've
known her so long. Why did she have to love me? Why couldn't Oyaji just
think before he acted? It's not fair. Just not fair." His voice was
barely a whisper, and he looked like he was about to cry, but he didn't.
Akane knew he would never cry in public, no matter how hurt he was.
     "Would you, I mean do you, um, want to make her happy?" It was
hard to say, but she had to give Ranma the chance now. She did not want
to lose him, but then she did not want an emotional wreck on her hands,
always having second thoughts about the way things turned out,
especially if Ukyou did something drastic.
     For a while Ranma sat silently, pondering his reply. "I want her
to be happy, but I don't love her like that. She's my friend, the sister
I never had. I always knew we weren't meant for each other." Akane
sighed in relief.
     Reaching out she touched his cheek. "Then you'll have to find a
way to make her happy." Ranma turned to face her, their eyes locking.
His eyes were  beautiful. She was drawn into their grey-blue depths.
They were filled with sadness, but behind that she still saw the simple
love of life that he had, the vivacious strength. Unconsciously she
leaned towards him.
     Ranma was surprised by what he saw. Love and desire burned side by
side with compassion in Akane's hazel eyes. Suddenly what he had done
seemed worth it. As long as it was Akane, anything was worth it. Slowly
he started to lean into her, his eyes closing.
     "Nihao, Ranma." The mood shattered around them like a beautiful
dream upon waking. Ranma growled beneath his breath. Akane was only a
beat behind him with her own angry grumbling.
     The bundle of Chinese energy bounced over to the two with a
carrying case for ramen and a small day pack on her shoulders. "What
do you want, Shampoo?" Ranma's voice was anything but friendly. The
girl was getting on his nerves. Twice in as many days she had ruined a
good moment for him.
     "Shampoo hear husband dump violent girl," Shampoo gushed, "Shampoo
so happy. Husband still love Shampoo."
     "I do not love..."
     "Shampoo bring food for Husband. Great-grandmother says we be
married in few days. Husband happy?"   
     "What's that old troll got planned now?" Ranma demanded, "You can
tell her to forget it, I'm not marrying you, Shampoo."
     "Husband only saying that so not hurt violent girl," Shampoo
looked at Akane with a gloating smile on her lips.
     Akane growled a few words under her breath. Ranma caught something
about skinning and a Chinese rug. He decided it was a good time to break
everything up before someone got hurt.
     "I think it is time for you to leave, Shampoo," he said evenly,
pointing towards the school's gate.
     "Leave soon, must get something for great-grandmother first." With
that she pulled a small knife and grabbed Ranma's hand before he could
move and sliced his finger.
     "Itai! Wachyadothatfor. Bloody bimbo." He tried to pull his hand
away, but Shampoo held tightly and squeezed a few drops of his blood
into a small vial. Releasing his hand she stood up. Ranma quickly stuck
his finger in his mouth and sucked on the wound, the sharp iron taste of
blood filling his mouth. What was with this girl the last few days? Has
she gone crazy? He shuddered at the thought of an insane Shampoo.
Kodachi was bad enough.  
     "Great-grandmother needs. Great-grandmother issue you challenge
too," Shampoo said, picking up her things and leaving a bowl of ramen,
"Tomorrow night, just when moon rise."
     "N-nani?" Ranma and Akane blinked.
     "Says you are weak, snot-nosed boy who cannot fight way out of
paper bag much less defeat Amazon Matriarch. She says gaijin baby could
beat Ranma in fight." Ranma was fuming now.
     "You tell that miserable, dried-out mummy that I'll be there.
We'll see how good that decrepit, senile, old troll is. I'll make a
purse outta her hide. Nabiki can probably sell it as real alligator
skin." He was on his feet, his entire body trembling in rage.
     "Shampoo tell great-grandmother, but she not be pleased."
     "I don't give a damn!" Ranma shouted. He was not really thinking
straight at this point. With last night, being thrown out of the house,
hurting Ukyou, Kunou's stupidity, and Shampoo's interruption, the old
ghoul's insults and challenge struck a nerve. Ranma needed a target,
just like with Kunou, and the old ghoul was the perfect one. Pounding
her withered hide would be very cathartic.
     "See Husband tomorrow night." Shampoo blew him a kiss and hurried
out of the school yard.
     "Ranma, are you sure this is a good idea?" Akane asked, placing a
restraining hand on his arm. I hope he calms down before the fight. In
this state a gaijin baby could easily demolish him. 
     "I don't care. I've had enough of that ghoul's meddling." 
     Akane sighed. It was time for Ranma to go home and get some rest.
"C'mon Ranma, let's get you home before anything else happens."
     Ranma allowed himself to be led out of the school yard. He was
preoccupied with what he was going to do to that Chinese monstrosity.

     Akane dropped Ranma off at the dojo and then headed back to school
after telling him to get some rest. Ranma had other ideas though. He was
not even remotely tired. It was quite the opposite with him. The inci-
dent with Shampoo had him so keyed up he could barely think straight. 
     He did realize that he needed to calm down, but sleep was not the
answer. Instead he disappeared into the dojo and started going through
katas. Soon he was lost in the rhythm of his skills. As he worked his
mind began to calm and he started thinking straight. He started to
regret his decision. He was not up to a fight with Cologne.
     The wound in his abdomen had not healed yet. In his fight with
Ukyou that morning, he had pushed it to the limit. The only reason it
had not opened was because she had not hit him once, yet he had still
been sore and very tired by the end of it. Fighting Cologne was going
to be ten times worse. He would be lucky if he kept her blows down to
only a few. Well there was no turning back now. He had accepted the
challenge, and now he had to go through with it.
     He continued to practice until his muscles had loosened and he was
breathing heavily. Much of the stress of the day had bled away with his
workout, but there was still a little left. His eye caught the stack of
bricks outside the dojo door that Akane used to work off her day's worth
of frustration. Breaking something sounded good to him.
     Grabbing half a dozen of the masonry blocks, he carried them
inside and set up three. Kneeling in front of them he brought his fist
down abruptly and crushed them. That felt good. Smiling, he grabbed the
last three and set them up. This time he concentrated, closing his eyes
as he imagined smashing the bricks. Unfortunately, his body decided to
shut down at that moment. He had taken himself to the limit, emotionally
and physically over the past few days, and his body retaliated. Ranma
fell asleep in front of the masonry blocks and slept in blissful peace.

     Cologne stood in the center of the circle she had drawn on the
floor of her room. Just at the edge of it, facing the rising moon, the
table with the black bag sat waiting. The candles around it were
guttering despite the absence of wind. It was time.
     Reaching forward she picked up the bag. It jumped in her hands,
heat filling her hands. A snarling filled her mind and she could feel
the hunger of the thing. Sharply she spoke a word and the thing fell
silent. Dipping her fingers in the garlic and wolfsbane mixture she
began to untie the knot holding the bag closed. As it came loose a rush
of wind filled the room, plunging it into darkness as the candles
extinguished.
     Cologne cared little for light. Placing her hand in the bag she
grasped a warm, pulsing stone figure. She pulled it from the bag and
held it before her. A dull red glow filled the room. It was a small
stone statue the size of a child's doll. Looking at it she could discern
no intentional form, it was a swirling chaos of stone that seemed to
imply terror and fear. She averted her eyes.
     Kneeling she began to intone a small cadence. "For three thousand
years the Amazons have stood and cared for You. Now we call upon You
once again to dispense your justice. One has broken our laws, has defied
the Matriarchs who gave You form and gave You sustenance. I, Cologne, a
Matriarch of the Amazon tribe demand punishment. I demand the Judgment
of Boukyaku on the man Saotome Ranma." 
     From the floor she picked up the vile that held Ranma's blood.
Opening it, she poured it over the statue. As the blood splashed on the
statue it disappeared with a hiss and a satisfied rumble. Gently Cologne
placed the statue on the floor in the middle of the circle. Backing up
she smiled viciously. "Tomorrow son-in-law. Tomorrow you pay." 

     Ranma bolted awake, sweat pouring down his body. Something had
been in his dreams, dark, malevolent, hungry. He shuddered, wondering
what had brought it on. Nerves he decided. Yet he was unable to shake
the feeling that it was more than a dream. The presence had been so
real, waiting just beyond his reach. Nerves, just nerves.
     Slowly the real world intruded in on him. It was dark outside.
Voices filtered through the walls of the dojo. Probably everyone eating
dinner. His stomach growled hungrily, reminding him that he had not
eaten lunch and had only had a small breakfast. Maybe Ukyou can..no I
can't go to her. Maybe Shampoo? He dismissed that thought quickly. There
was no way he was going anywhere near Cologne or Shampoo until tomorrow.
It was looking like his own money was going to be wasted tonight.
     Sighing he stood up and left the dojo, intent on getting something
to eat. As he crossed the back yard, he glanced at the house and saw
everyone sitting around the table eating a large dinner. He halted in
his tracks and watched them for a time. 
     It was strange he actually missed them. Being exiled from the
house was no fun, he wanted to be with them. They were his family. His
eyes widened as the thought crossed his head. Before today he had never
thought of himself as more than a houseguest, but the more he thought
about it, the more he realized that the Tendou's were the closest thing
to a family he could remember. 
     His memories of his own mother were sketchy at best. There were a
few things he remembered. Images of her kissing him goodnight, of her
holding him after an earthquake that had terrified him, reading a book
to him. They were so few, several dozen at most. A tear slipped down
his cheek.
     The Tendou household had become his. Kasumi was like a mother to
him, cooking, sewing, and offering advice, love and compassion. Nabiki
was as annoying as an older sister could be, what with her money making
schemes, but he still liked her in his own way. And Akane. His eyes
absently found her at the table, the spot where he always sat empty
beside her. She was something special. They fought like brother and
sister, stuck up for each other like a brother and sister, yet cared for
each other more than siblings possible could. They could almost be twins
on account of the way they acted. 
     As if she heard his thoughts, Akane looked up and their eyes met
across the yard. She smiled and motioned for him to wait over by his
tent. Wondering what she wanted, Ranma just nodded and slipped over to
his tent. Dinner was going to have to wait. Well at least things
couldn't get worse.
     Thunder suddenly rumbled across the sky, and there was a flash of
lightning as rain began to fall in a drenching sheet. Ranma was instant-
ly transformed into a girl. Muttering profanities, Ranma slipped into
her tent and zipped it up. The rain was beating a steady thunder on the
tight waterproof fabric. 
     There was no way she was going out tonight to get food. "I guess
I'll just suffer until tomorrow," he muttered under his breath. Drying
off though was a concern. She was in no mood to catch a cold. She turned
around and started digging through her gear until she found her clothes.
Stripping off the wet outfit, she slid into some dry pants and her usual
Chinese shirt. This finished she settled down and waited for Akane.
     It was actually a good half an hour before Ranma heard someone
outside her tent. Getting to her hands and knees, she unzipped the
entrance to allow Akane into her tent. Akane stepped in and placed a
dish of rice mixed with vegetables and some sort of seasoned chicken in
Ranma's hands. This was quickly followed by a warm thermos. 
     Closing her umbrella, she settled down on some of Ranma's
blankets. "I guess I should've thought to bring some hot water. Gomen."
     "Don't worry, this isn't the first time I've spent the night as a
girl. Arigato for the food, I'm starved," Ranma said and began to eat,
shoveling the food down. "Mmish ish mreat," she mumbled around a
mouthful.
     "Kasumi-oneechan set it aside for you. She just asked me to bring
it out to you," Akane explained, squirming around until she was lying on
her stomach next to Ranma's sitting form. "Are you feeling better?"
     "Mmm-hmm," Ranma answered. Being famished, she was more interested
in the food than thinking about questions, but she tried to answer Akane
as well as she could. Luckily the food disappeared quickly, as was usual
for Ranma.
     Sighing contentedly, Ranma put the empty dish aside and opened the
thermos. The aromatic steam of herbal tea assaulted her nose. She took a
drink and offered it to Akane. Akane took the tea with a thanks and took
a sip. It was a little chilly for a March evening.
     "I don't think you should fight Cologne," Akane said as she handed
the tea back to Ranma. "You're not in any shape for this."
     "I know, but...I just can't back down, Akane. Besides she insulted
me, honour demands I face her." Ranma glanced down at Akane's form. Her
face was lifted, starring up into her own. Her eyes were wide, her lips
slightly parted, glistening in the lamps low glow. For a brief moment he
wished Akane had brought some hot water. Ranma blushed slightly as the
thought crossed her mind.
     Akane noticed Ranma's blush and regretted not bringing the hot
water, not that she would have a problem with Ranma in this form. It was
just a little more awkward and confusing was all. Shaking her head to
clear the sudden onslaught of daydreams, Akane continued along her
course of questioning. 
     "Why is it always honour with you?" Akane asked.
     "Nani?" Where had that come from?
     "Why is it always honour with you? Why is everything a test of
honour?" she repeated for him, "You get yourself into these big messes
because of your bloody honour, just like trying to kill yourself. Why?"
     Ranma laid back on her sleeping bag, her head at Akane's feet.
"What else is there? I mean, Oyaji raised me to always follow the
honourable path in life, it's all a martial artist has."
     "Yet you are a member of the most dishonourable school of martial
arts." She turned on her side to look at Ranma.
     Ranma blinked at the comment, but retorted quickly, "We simply
take every advantage given. It's not my fault if someone turns their
back because they think they've won. Always be on your guard. Never let
an opportunity slip. Anything can be used as a weapon. The fight's not
over until your opponent retreats from the field. Maintain the honour of
the school at all times. Defeat is unacceptable." He finished the mantra
and locked eyes with Akane. 
     "I've lived with those for my entire life. But I've also got my
own. Don't hit a girl. Never fight someone who can't defend themselves.
Help those in trouble. Respect your parents. Family above self." Ranma
fell silent, but then started again. "Those were the rules Okaasan
taught me. She was the honourable one in my family."
     "You still haven't answered my question."
     "I don't know, okay!" Ranma shouted, "I just can't refuse things
like that. I don't know what else to live by. I'm sorry. I didn't have a
normal life. Your family has been the first taste of a normal life I've
had. I didn't know what it meant to do something for love, or just for
fun. I did everything because I had to. Do you understand?"
     Akane nodded her head. Somehow she did understand. Poor Ranma, to
live without love. Never to have fun. It must have been horrible. "I'm
sorry. I didn't know."
     "It's okay. No one did." Ranma turned away from Akane. "I'd like
to be alone. Please."
     "Hai, I understand." She stood up and started to leave before
suddenly turning back. She dropped to her knees next to Ranma's head
and kissed her forehead. "I'll always be here for you." With that she
scurried out of the tent and into the rain, leaving Ranma behind
confused but, for some reason, feeling better. Ranma slipped into sleep,
with a smile on her lips.

     The next day passed quickly for Ranma. School flew by in a blur,
the only slow moment his lunch with Akane. From there he slept through
most of his afternoon classes and then hurried home to get a few hours
of practice in before he faced Cologne. The moon would not be up until
around 9:30, so he had plenty of time to get to the Nekohanten. At
least a few more hours to live.
     Like the previous two nights, Akane brought him his dinner after
she ate. Then she sat down and tried to convince him not to do this.
Ranma told her in no uncertain terms that he was going, and then Akane
demanded that she be allowed to go with him. They quickly fell into
bickering over this. Insults were traded back and forth and finally
Akane pulled out one of her larger mallets and told Ranma in even less
uncertain terms than his that she was going or he would not be able to
go for at least a week. Ranma capitulated faster than the Polish army
when Hitler invaded.
     So Ranma arrived with Akane in tow at the Nekohanten just as the
moon was supposed to be rising, he had checked a Farmer's Almanac.
Shampoo was waiting for them outside of the Nekohanten. She was dressed
in a Chinese wedding dress, a blissful expression on her face. 
     "Why are you wearing that?" Akane asked annoyed at the girl's
presence, although it was Shampoo's home.
     "Shampoo marry Ranma tonight, Stupid-Ugly-Violent-Girl," Shampoo
stated cheerily. Only Ranma's hand on her arm restrained Akane from
disemboweling the annoying Amazon. Silently, she promised herself to
make that fool girl suffer.
     "Enough Shampoo," Ranma said, "I'm here to fight the ghoul, not
marry you. This is between me and the troll."
     "Let him in great-granddaughter." Cologne's cackling voice floated
from the interior of the restaurant. "Son-in-law is obviously eager to
get this started. I like a male with spunk." She cackled a short ugly
laugh. Ranma shuddered and stepped past Shampoo, pulling Akane with him.
There was no way he was leaving Akane alone with Shampoo.
     The interior of the Nekohaten was filled with candle light.
Cologne was perched atop her staff in the center of the room. The table
next to her was filled with small objects. As Ranma walked in, she threw
several at him. Contemptuously, Ranma grabbed them from the air and
threw them over his shoulder. 
     "Did you bring me here to play games, Ghoul?" 
     "No, son-in-law. You're here so I can teach you a lesson."
     "And what is that?"
     "That you can't insult the Amazon tribe and get away with it."
     "This isn't your village," Ranma said. This made no sense. There
was something bothering him in the room. It felt like something or
someone was watching him. It reminded him of the dream he had exper-
ienced the previous night. Whatever it was not very friendly. "We're in
Japan. How do expect to discipline me?"
     "Hear me now Saotome Ranma," Cologne intoned, her voice somehow
swelling in the room, "As a Matriarch of the Amazon tribe I have found
you guilty of breaking our laws. You have defeated my great-grand-
daughter Shampoo in battle, yet you refuse to marry her. You are
disrespectful to the Matriarchs, and an insult to the Ancestors. For
this I pass the Judgement of Boukyaku on you." 
     Shampoo gasped audibly. "No great-grandmother," she said in
Mandarin, "He is not an Amazon. You cannot do this."
     "Silence child. He has stood against the will of the Amazon's for
too long. By law he is to marry you and therefore an Amazon. His punish-
ment will be in kind." She turned back to Ranma, and picked up the
chaotic statue and flung it at Ranma. Acting on reflex, Ranma caught
the missile in mid-flight. Suddenly his arm was burning than his whole
body was cold. Pain shot through him, and then there was something in
his head, chuckling evilly, looking on him with hunger. 
     Ranma groaned and collapsed to his knees on the floor, his vision
swimming. Cologne was laughing, chuckling evilly. "If you do not marry
my great-granddaughter before the new moon rises, you will die son-in- 
law. Your soul will be consumed and you will be sent to Boukyaku."
     Ranma barely caught the ghoul's statement before he lost his
vision. Then he was falling in darkness, a hideous creature chasing him.
Dimly, he heard Akane scream before he was swallowed by the nightmare.

   
Author's Notes:

     And you thought I'd keep all the supernatural out of this. Well I
refuse to do something like that. This is Ranma and the supernatural is
a large part of the series, heck just look at the curses. The only
concession I'm not making to the orginal series is the comedy, I can't
write it and it doesn't fit in my writing, and basing the character's
personalities more in reality and developing them to where I think they
could go.
     I could sy that Ch 3 sets the stage for the series, but I alreadyt
said that in Ch 2 and Ch 1. What you'll see, hopefully, is a complicated
plot that will eventually spin around several events. I'm not interested
in writing a single track fic. This is going to start resembling a major
drama or a soap opera (though if any one puts that title on this work
I'll send Ranma and Ryouga after them)
     
   Until Next Time
   Joseph A. Kohle
   
   ----*----*----*----*----*----*----*----*----*----
   All rights and priveleges to Ranma Nibunnoichi       
   belong to Takahashi Rumiko. The characters ofr           
   her series are used without her permission for        
   the purpose of entertainment only. This work of 
   fiction is not meant for sale or profit.                    
            
   All original characters are the creation of the
   author. All copyright privileges to these chara-
   cters are reserved for the author.

   This story is a product of the author's hard work    
   and imagination. Do not modify, add to, or make 
   use of any part of this work without the author's 
   knowledge and consent. Please feel free to archive 
   this work.                             
            
   Comments and criticism are welcome.                   
   Written by Joseph A. Kohle, (c) 1997.                 
   Send all comments to Ashira@worldnet.att.net